Welcome to one of my new features for 2017! I will be highlighting 10 great books for writers. Each one will be different. And I highly recommend them all.
The Grammar Bible by Michael Strumpf is the best grammar book I have found, and I have read many. The Grammar Bible is simple and easy to understand with great examples. It will especially help you with the ever-complex comma. If you hate text books, no need to worry because The Grammar Bible doesn’t resemble one, but you will find more grammar advice and examples than in any other grammar book. That’s why this is called the “Bible.” On the cover, it says: “Everything you always wanted to know but didn’t know whom to ask.” And that’s an accurate statement.
Each chapter is divided into sections to help you learn.
Part One consists of parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns,
prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
Part Two is all about dissecting sentences. Part Three is for
spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation. The punctuation covers periods, commas,
colons, semicolons, apostrophes, question marks, exclamation points,
parentheses, brackets, hyphens, dashes, and quotation marks.
Michael Stumpf also answers questions that he’s received from
“anxious writers, conscientious students, and perplexed editors.” No question
is stupid or silly. He answers them all with respect.
Some things you can find/learn:
- Place a comma between adjectives that describe the same
now. Ex: a damp, gray day.
- Use a comma for two simple sentences that are joined.
Meaning they have a noun and a verb. Ex: Sam loves to cook, but he loves to
eat more.
You’ll also learn the differences between words such as
bare/bear, sight/site, anyway/any way, affect/effect, all ready/already,
awhile/ a while, born/borne, continual/continuous, whoever/whomever.
If you need grammar help, look for this book.
QUESTION: What grammar book(s) do you like?
I could use this one!
ReplyDeleteI recommend it.
DeleteSure sounds like a great one to get your grammar up to snuff. Always something to learn grammar wise.
ReplyDeleteThere sure is always something to learn.
DeleteThat sounds cool! Usually when I have to look something up, I just end up googling it. It would be nice to have a book like that handy.
ReplyDeleteGoogle can be handing in that way. lol
DeleteHi Chrys - I'm sure I need one ... your/you're and there/their annoy the 'hell' out of me - so often they are incorrectly used ... I have grammar books here - but not this one. Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteGrammar books are always nice to have.
DeleteI definitely need to pick that one up!
ReplyDeleteYou should check it out and see what you think.
DeleteI usually turn to Strunk and White's THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE or Patricia T. O'Connor's WOE IS I, both on my bookshelf. Or I Google the issue and find a reputable site to help me. :)
ReplyDeleteGoogle is a popular choice. I confess to using it, too, for these reasons. ;)
DeleteA good idea and a good read Chrys.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Thanks, Yvonne!
DeleteFantastic book! I usually end up Googling something if I'm really stumped.
ReplyDeleteI still do that from time to time, too. No shame. :P
DeleteSounds like a great book. I wonder if I read it if I'd finally get comma usage through my thick skull.
ReplyDeleteIt's a big possibility. :)
DeleteDefinitely a book I should grab. Thanks Chrys!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Sheena-kay!
DeleteI love my Chicago Manual of Style, but it can be difficult to interpret sometimes. This one sounds more user-friendly.
ReplyDeleteThis one is definitely user-friendly and easy to understand.
DeleteI have a dozen books on grammar and style, tools and essentials, but I don't have this one. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteThe book I grab first depends on what I'm working on, but this Bible sounds like one-stop assistance.
I love your new page look :-)
The Grammar Bible has it all. It's very useful, especially for people who are confused about grammar.
DeleteThanks!
I might could use this... I do have a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style at home, but it is bulky to use. My two favorite grammar books are "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" and "Sin and Syntax"
ReplyDeleteI haven't checked out Sin and Syntax yet. I'll have to view that one sometime.
DeleteI did buy Eat, Shoots and Leaves but I don't think I ever finished it. I'm terrible when it comes to finishing "how to" books. They feel too much like homework to me.
ReplyDeleteI like homework. ;)
DeleteWell, that explains it. I'm still dragging my butt through "Save the Cat!"
DeleteHAHAHA!
DeleteI love the title. Makes me want to find a quiet spot to read and contemplate.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. :)
DeleteI have CMS in hardcover as well as on my ipad...which makes searching easier. I also have Eat, Shoots and Leaves.
ReplyDeleteYoung Writer's Guide by R Martin
The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need by Thurman
Grammar Girls Quick and Easy Tips by Mignan Fogarty
Ohhh...there are more. Too many to list!
I love Mignan Fogarty. I have to get her grammar book.
DeleteI keep two style manuals by my desk and usually can find everything. The one you name sounds like a winner.
ReplyDeleteHaving style manuals close by is always smart.
DeleteI definitely have some grammar sticking points - I may have to check this one out.
ReplyDeleteYou have nothing to lose by checking it out. :)
DeleteHi Chrys.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to talk how-to books. Don't we all have a library full!
I was lucky in that I was taught 'proper' grammar at school and have been teaching it for years, but still, different publication houses have their own style guides which may contradict some of these 'rules'. But it is true, many writers struggle with where to put a comma, and they're not alone. I read recently that JD Salinger of Catcher in the Rye fame, once spent a whole day writing. What he'd achieved that day, was the correct placement of a comma!! He thought that was productive. How times have changed...
Hope your new year is chugging along well, Chrys. :-)
Properly placing a comma is a victory! LOL
DeleteMy new year is good so far. I hope the same can be said for you, Denise. :)
The other women in the small critique group within my local writers' group love how detailed and nit-picky I am with my comments about grammar and formatting. I'll recommend this book to them, since they really appreciate the attention to grammar. I like to attribute my sharp eye for this to the fact that I'm over half German, and thus pre-disposed to an exact attention to detail.
ReplyDeleteI'm over half German as well. :)
DeleteI've never really referred to grammar books. My 10th & 11th grade English teacher really drilled us on grammar. Most of that drilling stuck. I only have to look up the really tricky things.
ReplyDeleteThat's good. I had a hard time learning grammar in school.
DeleteThose commas are what get me. Even though my minor in college was English, I still have trouble with them. The book sounds like a good one. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCommas can fool the best of us.
DeleteMostly I look online at places like uToronto Writing Center and Purdue Owl Grammar. They're free and I know exactly where to find them. hehehe
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Online resources are great. :)
DeleteThis sounds like the perfect reference book, Chrys. Thanks for sharing it! Whom and who or whomever and whoever---always get me. I tend to google these questions but it would be better to have the physical book in hand at my desk. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteAn easy way to remember whether to use who or who is this: Whom (him, her, them), who (he, she, they). Try substituting these words for who/whom to see which version reads correctly. :)
DeleteYou're welcome for the recommendation. I have more coming. ;)
We can all use a little help now and then. Thanks for sharing, Chrys.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
We sure can. :)
DeleteI downloaded a sample and saw it was full of good examples as you said. Now to get the paperback of Kindle version...
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I hope it proves helpful to you as it was to me. :)
DeleteI sometimes get confused with grammar the more i try to fix a sentence. Even the spelling the longer I stare at the word. This looks like a great help for writing.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like when you repeat a word over and over again it doesn't sound like a word anymore. :P
DeleteThanks for the tip. Looking forward to seeing the other books you recommend over the course of the year.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to share the other books with you. :)
DeleteI have that book!
ReplyDelete